[PATCH v4 6/6] docs: trusted-encryped: add PKWM as a new trust source

Srish Srinivasan
2026-01-15T10:05:51Z

From: Nayna Jain <nayna@linux.ibm.com>

Update Documentation/security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst and Documentation/
admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt with PowerVM Key Wrapping Module (PKWM)
as a new trust source

Signed-off-by: Nayna Jain <nayna@linux.ibm.com>
Signed-off-by: Srish Srinivasan <ssrish@linux.ibm.com>
Reviewed-by: Mimi Zohar <zohar@linux.ibm.com>
---
.../admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt | 1 +
.../security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst | 50 +++++++++++++++++++
2 files changed, 51 insertions(+)

diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
index a8d0afde7f85..ccb9c2f502fb 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -7755,6 +7755,7 @@ Kernel parameters
- "tee"
- "caam"
- "dcp"
+ - "pkwm"
If not specified then it defaults to iterating through
the trust source list starting with TPM and assigns the
first trust source as a backend which is initialized
diff --git a/Documentation/security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst b/Documentation/security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst
index eae6a36b1c9a..ddff7c7c2582 100644
--- a/Documentation/security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst
+++ b/Documentation/security/keys/trusted-encrypted.rst
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ safe.
and the UNIQUE key. Default is to use the UNIQUE key, but selecting
the OTP key can be done via a module parameter (dcp_use_otp_key).

+ (5) PKWM (PowerVM Key Wrapping Module: IBM PowerVM + Platform KeyStore)
+
+ Rooted to a unique, per-LPAR key, which is derived from a system-wide,
+ randomly generated LPAR root key. Both the per-LPAR keys and the LPAR
+ root key are stored in hypervisor-owned secure memory at runtime,
+ and the LPAR root key is additionally persisted in secure locations
+ such as the processor SEEPROMs and encrypted NVRAM.
+
* Execution isolation

(1) TPM
@@ -102,6 +110,14 @@ safe.
environment. Only basic blob key encryption is executed there.
The actual key sealing/unsealing is done on main processor/kernel space.

+ (5) PKWM (PowerVM Key Wrapping Module: IBM PowerVM + Platform KeyStore)
+
+ Fixed set of cryptographic operations done on on-chip hardware
+ cryptographic acceleration unit NX. Keys for wrapping and unwrapping
+ are managed by PowerVM Platform KeyStore, which stores keys in an
+ isolated in-memory copy in secure hypervisor memory, as well as in a
+ persistent copy in hypervisor-encrypted NVRAM.
+
* Optional binding to platform integrity state

(1) TPM
@@ -129,6 +145,11 @@ safe.
Relies on Secure/Trusted boot process (called HAB by vendor) for
platform integrity.

+ (5) PKWM (PowerVM Key Wrapping Module: IBM PowerVM + Platform KeyStore)
+
+ Relies on secure and trusted boot process of IBM Power systems for
+ platform integrity.
+
* Interfaces and APIs

(1) TPM
@@ -149,6 +170,11 @@ safe.
Vendor-specific API that is implemented as part of the DCP crypto driver in
``drivers/crypto/mxs-dcp.c``.

+ (5) PKWM (PowerVM Key Wrapping Module: IBM PowerVM + Platform KeyStore)
+
+ Platform Keystore has well documented interfaces in PAPR document.
+ Refer to ``Documentation/arch/powerpc/papr_hcalls.rst``
+
* Threat model

The strength and appropriateness of a particular trust source for a given
@@ -191,6 +217,10 @@ selected trust source:
a dedicated hardware RNG that is independent from DCP which can be enabled
to back the kernel RNG.

+ * PKWM (PowerVM Key Wrapping Module: IBM PowerVM + Platform KeyStore)
+
+ The normal kernel random number generator is used to generate keys.
+
Users may override this by specifying ``trusted.rng=kernel`` on the kernel
command-line to override the used RNG with the kernel's random number pool.

@@ -321,6 +351,26 @@ Usage::
specific to this DCP key-blob implementation. The key length for new keys is
always in bytes. Trusted Keys can be 32 - 128 bytes (256 - 1024 bits).

+Trusted Keys usage: PKWM
+------------------------
+
+Usage::
+
+ keyctl add trusted name "new keylen [options]" ring
+ keyctl add trusted name "load hex_blob" ring
+ keyctl print keyid
+
+ options:
+ wrap_flags= ascii hex value of security policy requirement
+ 0x00: no secure boot requirement (default)
+ 0x01: require secure boot to be in either audit or
+ enforced mode
+ 0x02: require secure boot to be in enforced mode
+
+"keyctl print" returns an ASCII hex copy of the sealed key, which is in format
+specific to PKWM key-blob implementation. The key length for new keys is
+always in bytes. Trusted Keys can be 32 - 128 bytes (256 - 1024 bits).
+
Encrypted Keys usage
--------------------

--
2.47.3